As one example of transmission systems that transmit or receive contents data among a plurality of transmission terminals, videoconference systems are known, which carry out teleconference or videoconference among remotely located offices via a communication network such as the Internet. With the need for reducing costs or times associated with business trips, more companies are moving towards such videoconference systems. The videoconference systems allow transmission of contents data such as image data and/or voice data among a plurality of videoconference terminals that are remotely located from one another through the communication network to facilitate communication among the plurality of videoconference terminals.
Some videoconference systems allow a user to use videoconference services only when the user pays a usage fee to a service provider who provides the videoconference services. In addition to the videoconference services, the service provider may provide the user with various other services such as weather forecast information, regional news distribution, educational services, etc. In case the usage fee is not paid by the user, the service provider may prohibit the user from connecting to the communication network through the user's terminal until the usage fee is paid, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Patent No. 3446202 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 200017493).